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The Mother of Mercy
Empress Crux Helena, better known to history as the Mother of Mercy, served as Emperox from her election in 2515 to the end of her term in 2615. Her reign saw the codification of the laws and legal systems still observed today, and is remembered in both House Crux and the wider Empire as the height of the Imperial Golden Age. The date of her birth (often cited as the 24th of December, although this is contended by some historians) is celebrated as Weihnacht ''(Hieran, translated as ''holy night) on Hiera. Origins The reign of Emperor Diomikato saw steadily worsening decadence, corruption, and gross abuses of power by many members of the Crux nobility who had come to believe that their legal power and vast fortunes brought them beyond the reach of the law. A political organization that called themselves the Knights of Mercy was formed under the leadership of Herzogin Crux Helena. They dedicated themselves to rooting out the corruption eating at the heart of the House, and with the backing of the High Church and several prominent Crux nobles began a four-year-long purge. Legend alleges that it was during this time that the future Empress received a vision from God during which she put out her own eyes in exchange for knowledge of true justice, though some scholars claim she lost her sight during the near-constant military conflict. Either way, hundreds of nobles were imprisoned or executed on the steps of the Oberlandesgericht and thousands more killed in open combat. When the dust had settled, Helena and her Knights of Mercy and de-facto seized control of the House. Weary of the bloodshed, they began to draft a new legal system to ensure that such corruption and the slaughter that followed could never again take place. The Election The reign of Emperor Diomikato had just come to a close, and the sector was tense in anticipation of the fourth election. The Hieran Schism had concluded only a few short years before, and it had served as a wake-up call for the sector. The Houses Noble saw similar symptoms on their own worlds; complacency, corruption, and a gross abuse of power. Among the nobility, seemingly trivial situations too often became a matter of life and death. The election candidates had varying views on this immoral blight, with many seeking to maintain the sinful status quo. Helena stood out among them, with her victory on Hiera standing as a shining example of what justice and order could bring to the Empire. In the end, the voices of the pure carried through, and House Crux ascended to the Throne. The Reign of Empress Crux Helena, the Mother of Mercy It is unclear when exactly Helena became known as the Mother-of-Mercy, but sources place it at some point within the first ten years of her reign. From the moment she first sat on the throne, the Mother of Mercy was hard at work. Throughout her reign she laid down the cornerstones upon which modern Imperial Law was built, declared that even nobles are not above the law, brought several restrictions to usage of the death penalty as a form of punishment, and lit the Flame of Hiera, which burns to this day. Preferring to lead by example, whenever an attempt to diminish her authority and standing was made by a noble, the Mother of Mercy responded with grace. For more minor crimes—instead of execution—the perpetrator was given clemency at a modestly comfortable incarceration facility. While there were of course some who took advantage of this leniency, for the most part this did nothing but good things for the Empire. No longer was the threat of death always present and able to be abused by those above you in the hierarchy. There was now a heightened sense of safety and confidence throughout the nobility, leading to strengthened bonds and a more cohesive Empire. There are those within radical coteries that decry the Mother of Mercy for not doing enough for the serfs of the Empire. While she certainly improved their general lot in life with her reforms, her prime focus had remained on the nobility. Her Love, Taxarch Eridanus Eridanus Ricardo A member of the royal Eridanii family and first cousin of the Eridanii Vaultkeeper during the reign of the Mother of Mercy he could trace his lineage not just to the Empress Eridanus Juliana but also to the first colony ships. As a member of the Eridanii mafia, "The Tax Breachers," Ricardo was a corporate defense lawyer who helped the mafia get out of some tight spots, but everything changed when he met Crux Helena in court. A social butterfly and a flirt, Ricardo fell quickly in love with Helena. She revealed to him where his true loyalties lay, not to the nebulous gang of nobles but to the empire itself. Ricardo realized that "The Taxbreakers" were standing against progress of the empire for their personal gain. He cried vengeance against them and worked with Helena to rid the influence of corrupt nobles in house politics. These efforts won him an election to the Office of the Taxarch and also lead to his marriage to Helena. As husband to the Empress, Ricardo's position as Taxarch was never challenged and he helped the empire thrive with efficient funding for all necessary policing and justice in the Empire's modern legal system. Passing the Torch When the century had finally run its course and the throne was due to be passed on, the choice of who would become the next Emperox was unusually straightforward. For the Mother of Mercy herself had raised an heir that the Empire found more than worthy of the throne. The torch was passed to her eldest son, Emperor Crux Alexandron—soon to be known as the Firekeeper—and the Mother of Mercy became his most trusted advisor. She guided her son in his sacred duty for roughly two decades before she departed to the After. The sector cried out in grief, and a month long mourning period was declared by the Firekeeper leading up to her entombment in the Mausoleum of the Messiah. Unofficial Histories The Mother of Madness One sacrilegious theory is that the Mother of Mercy did not smite corruption and cruelty, but rather fostered it, using the righteous cause as a cunning guise for her true intentions. Blood stained the snow and tainted the rivers, all in the name of a woman who claimed she received visions from God. The theory diverges on the matter of her blindness. One side asserts that Helena was captured by her rival and former lover Eckhart—official records show no mention of this individual—who plucked her eyes out as punishment for her crimes. Others speculate that Helena simply went mad with bloodlust and power, and clawed them out herself. Supporters of this theory dub Helena the Mother of Madness, though they do so behind closed doors, for such heresy can have dire consequences. Nobility Above All This unauthenticated historical claim by radicals such as the Professor Karl Engels alleges that prior to the Mother of Mercy, the social divide between serf and nobility was near imperceptible. It was only when she took the throne that serfdom became akin to servitude. Freedom gave way to harsh restrictions, and serfs were given a new set of rights that put them on a level comparable to property. It is widely believed that this is an over-exaggeration, but if there is any truth to it, it has been lost to time. Might Through Mercy Members of other Houses believe that some 40 years into the reign of the Mother of Mercy, she began to listen more than lead. Her allegiance to House Crux was undoubtedly strong, so strong in fact that some claim she let Crux influence several of her most significant decisions. This was a rumor then and a rumor now, though historical records are too vague to serve as any substantial evidence for this claim. Category:Characters Category:NPCs Category:House Crux Members Category:House Crux Category:Emperox